


Ghosts That We Knew

by ShariDeschain



Series: Dick and Dami Week 2019 [7]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), Grayson (Comics)
Genre: DickandDamiweek2019, Fluff, Gen, based on the Grayson #12 scene, so very fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 09:17:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18466000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShariDeschain/pseuds/ShariDeschain
Summary: Damian runs to the bed like he had run towards him this afternoon, and he throws himself on the mattress just like he had thrown himself in Dick’s arms a few hours ago.#DickAndDamiWeek2019, Day 7 - Separation/Reunion





	Ghosts That We Knew

He recognizes the light steps behind his door from the days when they shared a house that was not this one, but that both of them had equally called their home.

Damian doesn’t knock, just pushes the door ajar enough to stick his head in the room, and Dick has to smile at the sight of that little dark head peeking out from the threshold to look around for him with anxious eyes.

“I knew you were awake”, Damian exclaims triumphantly.

“Of course I am”, Dick answers from his bed. “Get over here, kiddo.”

The invitation is accepted immediately and with an enthusiasm that in any other situation would have been uncharacteristic of Damian, but today is a special day, different from any other, and Dick can only be grateful that the kid is allowing himself to be happy without any reservation or pretense.

Damian runs to the bed like he had run towards him this afternoon, and he throws himself on the mattress just like he had thrown himself in Dick’s arms a few hours ago. And, again, Dick is ready to welcome him. Damian lands on him with a heavy drop that does not suit the Boy Wonder at all, but Dick just laughs and wraps his arms around him, drawing the boy closer. The fact that Damian doesn’t even pretend to hate the affection says everything there’s to tell about the boy’s feelings.

Dick closes his eyes and breathes through Damian’s hair, taking in the familiar smell of the kid along with the firmness and the warmth of his body, so very different from the sluggishness and the coldness of the last time he had held Damian in his arms, long, long time ago. He rubs his cheek against the boy’s forehead and drops a kiss on it before allowing Damian to pull away from him. Damian does that almost as reluctantly, but he settles against Dick’s side, his head resting on Dick’s shoulder, still close enough to feel him. Dick understands that all too well.

The lamp on the bedside table is the only source of light in the room and throws a gentle honey-coloured halo on the walls around them. And it seems redundant to Dick to tell Damian he’s missed him so much, but he does it anyway, because it’s true and because it still hurts. Damian only nods at him.

“You had to fulfill your mission before coming home”, Damian answers. “I understand that.”

Dick squirms uncomfortably and adjusts himself so that they’re both snugly tucked under the covers, Damian still holding on to him like he’s never going to let go. He pets the boy’s head with a reassuring hand, thinking about how he spent months longing for this, and he never even imagined that Damian would be there, with him. If he had known about the boy being alive, he would’ve returned home immediately, Spyral be damned. This is probably why Bruce’s never told him about Damian in the first place. Dick _hopes_ this is the reason for him keeping this particular secret for himself. He doesn’t want to think about Bruce having ulterior motives in this, even if he could maybe understand if the man had wished to keep his kid as close as possible after losing him, to the point of not wanting to share him with anyone else, not even the kid’s family.

He feels his hold grow tighter around Damian, but when the boy raises his head to shoot him a questioning look he just smiles.

“I was thinking that, so far, you're the only one who hasn't been angry about this”, Dick lies. “I’ve met with Tim and Jason too, and I can assure you that didn’t went so well. They didn't even tell me about you, you know? I think they just wanted me to suffer a little longer.”

Damian mulls over the information for a moment, then he shrugs at him.

“You did deserve some kind of payback”, he says, and Dick raises an eyebrow at him, truly and deeply surprised by that comment.

“Oh, so this is how things are now?”, he teases him. “You take their side over mine?”

Despite Dick’s good intentions, Damian looks away in what is without doubt either shame or guilt.

“They helped Father getting me back. They went to Apokolips for me”, the kid justifies himself, shifting against him, and it’s now Dick’s turn to feel ashamed of himself, even if he hopes he’s better at hiding it.

“Of course they did, kiddo”, he answers, as he pats the boy’s back to comfort him. “They will always come for you, no matter what.”

Once upon a time, Damian would’ve probably given him a sarcastic answer, but the reality of his other brothers’ affection for him seems to stop him from dismissing the whole thing with a snickering comment. That’s good, that’s what Dick had hoped for since the very beginning: for Damian, Tim and Jason to see each other as family and be close even without him. With his absence he’s at least achieved this, apparently. 

Dick tries to imagine what it was like for Damian to die and come back to life, to reopen his eyes to find himself surrounded by his family, by everyone, except Dick.

“You know that I would’ve given anything to be there too, right?”, he asks softly, and he hates himself for the way his voice cracks with regret and guilt.

“Yes”, Damian confirms right away. “I know.”

And he does sound confident about it, but that does nothing to soothe Dick’s sorrow. This is something that will weigh on his conscience forever, the regret that will scratch at the back of his head every time he’ll look at Damian and feel grateful to have him back. He knows that the kid would never hold it against him, but if he ever decided to do it, Dick could just bow his head down and accept it.

“Anything, Damian”, he repeats, bringing the kid closer again.

Damian just hums happily against him and Dick kisses his forehead one last time before reaching out to turn off the lamp. The dark is soft and friendly now, full of familiar smells and shapes, Damian is a warm, breathing weight on his chest, and coming home could never have been more perfect than this.

**Author's Note:**

> Last entry for the #DickAndDamiWeek2019, [Day 7 - Separation/Reunion](https://unavenged-robin.tumblr.com/post/184183688583/day-7-separationreunion-he-recognizes-the), hope y'all had as much fun as I did. There's no shortage of Dick&Dami content here or on tumblr, but the more there is the happiest I feel.


End file.
